Concept Technologist

True North Talent Limited; Greater London; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 44,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Benefits

Job summary

True North Talent Limited is seeking a Concept Technologist in London to join an established food manufacturer’s NPD team. You will bridge creative development with technical and commercial teams, helping turn ideas into viable products.

You’ll be involved in costing, ingredient sourcing, process understanding and stakeholder coordination across Development Chefs, NPD/EPD, Procurement, Technical, Operations and Supply Chain.

Qualifications

• Genuine passion for food, ingredients and new product development.
• Experience in NPD/EPD programmes.
• Experience with recipes, costing or food development processes.
• Strong numerical and analytical skills for COGS and pricing.
• Ability to engage with chefs and cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Work with Development Chefs to ensure recipes are set up and reflected in systems.
• Assist with process setup, packaging understanding, labour assumptions and concept data.
• Collaborate with site teams to validate labour models and production needs.
• Ensure new products align with brand values, nutrition guidelines.
• Prepare and present recipes, ingredients, costs, nutritionals and cooking methods.
• Complete concept development documentation accurately and on time.
• Develop ingredient briefs and keep sourcing aligned with project timelines.

Skills

NPD experience

Food development

Numerical skills

Communication with chefs

Education

Food Technology / Food Science degree

Job description

Location: London

Working Pattern: Monday - Friday

Overview: Passionate about food and want to play a key role in turning creative concepts into commercially viable products?We’re working with a category leading food business looking to appoint a Concept Technologist to join its NPD team.This is an exciting opportunity for a food focused technologist to work closely with Development Chefs and NPD Manager, helping take new food concepts from the initial brief through development, feasibility and ultimately into process handover.You’ll sit at the heart of the development process, acting as the link between the creative side of food development and the wider technical, commercial and operational teams.It’s a varied role combining food development, costing, raw material sourcing, product feasibility, process understanding and stakeholder management, giving you exposure to the full journey of bringing new food to life.

Why this role?This isn’t a role where you’ll be purely focused on paperwork or technical compliance.You’ll be working closely with chefs to help turn creative ideas into products that are great tasting, commercially viable and capable of being produced successfully at scale.You’ll play an important role in making sure concepts are properly costed, recipes and processes are accurately set up, ingredients are sourced appropriately and production implications are considered early in the development process.You’ll also become a key point of contact between Development Chefs, NPD/EPD, Procurement, Technical, Operations and Supply Chain, giving you visibility across the wider business and the opportunity to influence how new products move through development.For someone who genuinely loves food and wants to build their career within new product development, it offers the chance to work alongside experienced chefs while developing a much broader understanding of the commercial and operational side of food development.

What will you be doing?

• Working closely with Development Chefs to ensure recipes are accurately set up and appropriately reflected within P74.
• Supporting accurate process set up, packaging understanding, labour assumptions and theoretical concept data.
• Working with site teams to validate labour models and understand production requirements.
• Ensuring new food is developed in line with brand values and nutritional guidelines.
• Preparing and delivering professional food presentations covering recipes, ingredients, costs, brand values, nutritionals and cooking methods.
• Completing concept development documentation accurately and within agreed timescales.
• Developing clear ingredient briefs and ensuring sourcing activity remains aligned with project critical paths.

About the business

Our client is an established food manufacturer with a strong focus on developing high-quality, commercially successful food products.The NPD team brings together chefs, technologists and wider business functions to develop new concepts from the earliest stages through to operational handover.This role sits at the centre of that process, working across Food Development, Procurement, Technical, Operations and Supply Chain to make sure creative ideas can ultimately become commercially and operationally viable products.It’s an opportunity to join a collaborative development environment where food quality, creativity and commercial thinking all need to come together.

Essential

• A genuine passion for food, ingredients and new product development.
• Experience working within either NPD or EPD programmes.
• A Food Technology, Food Science or similar degree would be advantageous.
• Experience working with recipes, ingredients, costing or food development processes.
• Strong numerical and analytical skills, with the ability to understand and work with COGS and pricing.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple development activities simultaneously.
• Confident communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with chefs, technical specialists, procurement, supply chain and operational teams.

Desirable

• Experience within chilled food manufacturing, particularly chilled meals.
• Experience working alongside Development Chefs or within a chef led NPD environment.
• Experience with P74 or similar product development / costing systems.
• Experience with raw material sourcing and ingredient specifications.
• Experience with shelf-life testing, benchmarking and product tastings.
• Understanding of packaging, nutritional and labelling considerations.
• Experience supporting process improvement or implementing new ways of working.

What’s in it for you?

• £40,000 salary plus bonus & benefits.
• Exposure to the full new food development process, from concept brief through to process handover.
• The opportunity to develop your commercial understanding alongside your food and technical expertise.
• Genuine involvement in bringing new food concepts to life rather than simply supporting one part of the process.
• A role where your ideas, attention to detail and understanding of food can directly influence the success of new products.
• Scope to take ownership of projects and develop your experience within a growing food development environment.